Kuzul

It’s August 4th and the Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball. After easily defeating the Yankees last night, the Rays sit alone atop the American League East.

The Rays MVP to date? That would be Carl Crawford. The 29 year old outfielder is having a career year, hitting .309, with a career best .855 OPS and 38 stolen bases. Crawford is also one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball. So far this season, he’s saved his team nearly 20 runs on defense alone.

The face of the Tampa Bay franchise over the past decade is also the teams biggest problem going forward. Crawford’s contract expires at the end of this season. While Tampa Bay would certainly love to bring him back, losing superstars is just part of being a small market team. The Rays core will still be one of the best in baseball, led by budding superstar Evan Longoria, the best third baseman in the league right now, and a young, talented rotation.

But how will they replace their offensive catalyst?

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From 1998 to 2002, the NHL All-Star game was played between an All-Star team from North America and an All-Star team made up of players from around the world.

What if Major League Baseball did something like this? If an American All-Star team led by Joe Mauer, Alex Rodriguez, Chase Utley, and Roy Halladay took on an International All-Star team, what would that team look like?

This team will follow some All-Star game procedure. Players will be picked based on their performance in the first half of 2010 only, although not every team must have a representative.

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Who has been the most valuable player in the National League so far this season? Ask that question to 10 different people, you’ll probably get four or five different answers.

By this point last season, Albert Pujols had already pulled away from the pack. He was hitting .328 with 26 home runs, and an OPS of 1.159. On June 23, 2009, it was fairly clear who the National League MVP had been over the first few months of the season.

But this year? No National League batter has hit 20 or more home runs. None have an OPS over 1.000. Albert Pujols is hitting “just” .302 with “only” 15 home runs. Hanley Ramirez is having a down year. So is Chase Utley. And so is Prince Fielder.

Andre Ethier looked like the clear-cut favorite early in the season, but his offense has tailed off and his defense has been beyond terrible.

Jason Heyward had a case entering the month, with an OPS near 1.000 on a first place team, but he too has been in quite a slump.

Albert Pujols was near the league lead in several offensive categories a few weeks ago, but he’s hit just three home runs in the month of June.

Who does that leave in contention?

Let’s start with the first place Braves, and current NL batting average leader Martin Prado. Prado is the only National Leaguer among the top-10 in the league in batting average, hitting .340 to date. But Prado rarely walks and has little power. Prado is a good hitter and a solid defensive third baseman, but his overall offensive package just isn’t enough.

What about Andre Ethier? He’s dropped off just a bit, but he’s still hitting .320. He hasn’t walked quite all that much, but his SLG% of .583 leads the National League, and his .965 OPS is second. The problem with Ethier, as it has always been, is defense. He’s one of the worst right fielders in baseball.

So far this season, he’s cost his team nearly 14 runs in the field, according to UZR. Over his career, he’s lost his team more than 30 runs in right field, so this is nothing new. As great a hitter as he’s been, his poor defense has to be taken into consideration.

Marlon Byrd is hitting .323 on the season with a .521 slugging and a UZR over seven. But his lack of walks (his OBP is just .366) make him a less valuable player than his average and slugging would indicate.

Another National League Central outfielder might have a better case—Matt Holliday. Holliday has had an incredible June. He’s hitting .308, but hasn’t walked as frequently as in previous seasons, and has only 11 home runs. He’s a solid candidate, and the way he’s playing, he could put himself into contention sooner rather than latter. But right now, Holliday probably doesn’t deserve to win the award.

Joey Votto is certainly a reasonable candidate. The Reds are in first place, due in large part to Votto’s contributions with the bat. Votto is hitting .310 with a .405 OBP and 15 home runs. He has an impressive .962 OPS, and might be the favorite to win the award if it were not for another first baseman on a first place team. That man is Adrian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez is, in my mind, the most underrated player in baseball. He’s probably the second best first baseman in the league, but is often over looked, partly because he plays in San Diego, and partly…well, because he plays his home games in San Diego. Last season, his OPS was nearly 200 points higher on the road. At home, he hit just .24, and 28 of his 40 home runs came on the road.

So with that in mind, consider the fact that Gonzalez now leads the league in OPS. So far this season, Gonzalez is hitting .313 with a .411 OBP and a .559 SLG, to go along with 15 home runs and 47 RBI. His home/road splits are astounding. On the road, Gonzalez is a .353 hitter with a .664 SLG. Again, his OPS is nearly 200 points higher outside of Petco.

Gonzalez is also one of the best defensive first baseman in the league, and has won the last two National League Gold Glove Awards at first base. The Padres are in first place mostly due to outstanding pitching and defense, but Gonzalez’s offensive contribution has been extremely valuable for a team that plays half their games in offensive hell.

If the season were to end today, I have no idea who would win the National League MVP award. But I have a pretty good idea who would be deserving of that honor. That would be baseball’s most underrated player, Adrian Gonzalez.

This article is also featured on Fantasy Bullpen.

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It’s already June 18th, and the Major League trading deadline is just over six weeks away.

Some teams like the Mariners and Nationals are clear sellers willing to move potentially helpful veteran players for prospects. Others, like the Dodgers, Angels, and Red Sox, sit on the edge of playoff contention, needing another piece or two to try and compete for a championship.

Who might be on the block? And who would be interested? Let’s take a look.

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The board could not have fallen more perfectly for the New York Yankees Monday night.

Picking 32nd overall, they had several potential top-10 talents available for selection, including Middle Tennessee State outfielder Bryce Brentz, and LSU right hander Anthony Ranaudo.

Most years, Brian Cashman would scoop up the top available talent, pay him above-slot money, and that would be that.

But this was not most years.

The Yankees did not go above slot with their first round pick. Instead, they selected a two-way player out of Irondequoin High School in Rochestar, Cito Culver. Brentz and Ranaudo, both considered top-10 picks coming into the season, ended up in Boston.

With all due respect to Culver, this was a rather shocking pick. Culver was the 168th ranked player in this draft class according to Baseball America. The Yankees had one pick in the first 81, and they chose to spend it on a player who likely would have been available at 82?

Is it really that bad?

Culver’s main draw back is that he simply lacks elite offensive tools. He’s got decent size for a short stop at 6-2, 175 pounds, and is reasonably athletic, but he’s not a burner. He has decent gap power and the Yankees envision a bit more, but he doesn’t have the power upside of the Yankees 2005 first round pick, short stop CJ Henry.

That’s not to say he is lacking in tools. Culver should be able to stick at the position, as he’s a good defender and has a cannon for an arm. His arm is likely his best tool, and even if his bat doesn’t come around, he could find a spot in the Major Leagues as a utility player.

He also throws in the low to mid 90s off the mound, so should he completely fail as a position player that is a possible destination.

Culver is a switch hitter with good bat speed and a nice looking swing. He has decent gap power and the Yankees think he can develop that further. Given his defensive prowess and the position he plays, if he could develop into just a league average hitter he’d provide the Yankees with considerable value; if not in the lineup then at least on the trading block.

The Yankees probably know this guy better than any other team. It’s certainly possible they like his bat more than Baseball America does, but I think his likely bellow-slot contract demands factored into this decision. While he has a commitment to Maryland, it shouldn’t be too hard to break – this is a lot higher than he expected to be drafted.

While Culver is far from a can’t miss prospect, he deserves a chance. Yes, a player like Bryce Brentz could be a very good Major Leaguer, and could be a thorn in the Yankees side for years.

This pick could look really bad five years down the road. But Culver does have an intriguing skill set. It’s all about the bat. Should that develop, Culver has a chance to potentially replace Derek Jeter, and provide a long term solution at the short stop position.

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It’s difficult to make a list like this, because from the two spot on down to maybe six or seven, it’s nearly impossible to put one guy over another.

Some pitchers had long careers and good primes, others had shorter careers but amazing primes. Pitchers are ranked on career totals, peak level performance, and length of prime.

Please note that this is a list of the top-10 pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball, and will not include Negro League players. Had I included Negro Leaguers, Satchel Paige would certainly have made my list.

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When you think of first baseman, you think of power. From Jimmie Foxx, to Willie McCovey, to Mark McGwire, and now Albert Pujols, first baseman are asked to hit the ball really far.

I’ve done two top-10s in the last month or so—left handed pitchers and catchers. At both positions, only a few legitimate Hall of Famers, or Hall of Fame candidates, were left off. At first base, there might be ten or more. A few of the players left off this list might surprise you, as might a couple of the players who make it.

Players are ranked on their entire careers. Career totals, peak-level performance, longevity, offensive and defensive play, as well as baserunning. Players are ranked based on their entire careers, not just their careers at the position, and active players are ranked only on what they have accomplished so far.

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I think we all know that Babe Ruth was probably the greatest offensive player in the history of baseball. Ted Williams was probably second, and Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds, and Lou Gehrig round out my own personal top five. The numbers these guys put up during their careers were astounding, but are sometimes difficult to fully appreciate out of context.

What’s not difficult to appreciate is a truly great season. Last year, Albert Pujols led baseball with 47 homers. Joe Mauer led baseball with a .365 average, and Ryan Howard led baseball with 145 RBI. What if I told you a player had hit over .380, with 40 homers, and 170 RBI, and still missed this list? It happened. That was Chuck Klein in 1930. Of course, that was the year of the hitter. The league average BA was over .300, and he didn’t lead the league in any of the three categories. Someone else was better (and that someone made the list). But even so, Klein hit .386, with 40 and 170, and didn’t make this list. These seasons are really, really good.

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We’ve seen some really good catchers over the past decade. Mike Piazza is probably the greatest offensive catcher in Major League history, and Ivan Rodriguez probably the best defensive catcher.

Joe Mauer, who’s already won three batting titles in his short career, can do both at a high level and will likely, someday, end up in baseball’s Hall of Fame.

But who are the 10 greatest catchers in Major League history? That’s a tough question to answer. These rankings are based on career totals and prime level performance.

Historical WAR data played a large role in compiling this list, though obviously there is some subjectivity in any ranking. As always, these players are judged against their peers.

Assumptions are made about the quality of play, but players from all eras are ranked together.

Players contributions both offensively and defensively have been considered, so players like Garry Carter, and on the flip side, players like Mike Piazza, can be given serious consideration.

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How far into the season is it fair to sit down, and really take a hard look at a players statistics? Depends who you ask. The New York media would like to put that somewhere around the fifth inning of opening day. Most fans really start to pay attention a month into the season. Statically speaking, a full season, perhaps two, is ideal. But we’re impatient. Baseball moves too fast. In my opinion, after about two months, it’s fair to at least start looking at where players stand.

Of course, we all know who’s leading the Majors in what. Ubaldo Jimenez has an ERA under 1 and an 8-1 record. Justin Morneau leads the AL in batting, and has chipped in 11 home runs. Andre Ethier, if healthy, would be competing for a triple crown. I don’t have to tell you all that. But what about the minor leagues? Which players are likely ready for a promotion to the show after destroying pitching at their level the past two months, or mowing down Minor League batters? Of course, I’m not talking about 30 year old career minor leaguers teeing off against guys 5-10 years younger than them, but real prospects. Guys who project as Major League starters.

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